Andaman Emerald Isles

We head out to the wetlands around Port Blair to arrive in time for sunrise. A lot of water birds are active in the morning and we should get to see scores of Gray-headed Swamphens, Common Moorhens and Lesser Whistling Ducks. Yellow and Cinnamon Bitterns try hard to camouflage themselves in the reeds close-by. White-bellied Sea Eagles soar in the skies, scanning for a juicy snack in the waters below. With some luck, we may even encounter our first endemic of the tour – the Andaman Teal. In the afternoon, we head out towards Chidiya Tapu to look for forest birds in the evening light. This forest is home to most of the Andaman endemics. Overnight at Port Blair.

Early today, we set sail to the island of Little Andaman. Around 6-8 hours away by speedboat from Port Blair, this island is rarely visited. The forests here are pristine and teeming with birdlife. We arrive at the island by mid-day. After lunch, we start exploring the various habitats on the island. Overnight at Hut Bay.

We start early on both days to explore the forests around Hut Bay in Little Andaman. Nicobar Pigeons, renowned for their beauty as well as their shyness, call the depths of these forests their home. While we keep a watch for them, there are many more endemic species of birds that we might encounter here. Expect long walks (around 5-6 hours every day) as the paths through the forests may not be motorable. We’ll also spend time around the coast during low-tide to explore the diversity of life in the tidal pools. Every evening, we keep our eyes and ears open for owls (and they are plenty of them here). Overnight at Hut Bay.

Today, we sail back to Port Blair after soaking in the solitude that is Little Andaman.

At Port Blair, we'll review photographs taken over the past 5 days. We'll share our learning over the first half of the tour. If time permits, we'll visit the historic Cellular Jail. Overnight at Port Blair.

This morning, we’ll visit Manipur Parbat National Park (formerly called Mount Harriet National Park). The beautiful evergreen forests of this park are mesmerizing – not only are they dense but the towering trees makes one feel so diminutive. The view from the top of Mount Harriett, the tallest point in South Andaman, shows the extent of the canopy. This park is home to many endemic species of birds, like Andaman Cuckoo-Dove, Andaman Wood-pigeon, Andaman Serpent Eagle and Andaman Woodpecker. After lunch at Mount Harriet, we’ll drive down to the water bodies around Sippyghat. These lakes, some of them created after the tsunami, host many resident and migrant waterfowl, including the rare Andaman Teals, Long-toed Stints, White-bellied Sea Eagles, Bar-tailed Godwits, Pacific Golden Plovers and Yellow Bitterns. We’ll also visit some mangroves looking for the rare Mangrove Whistler and Ruddy Kingfisher. Overnight at Port Blair.

In the morning, we’ll visit the forests at Chidiya Tapu or Jirgatang to look for endemic species of birds, including Andaman Bulbuls, Andaman Treepies, Spot-breasted Woodpeckers and Andaman Coucals. In the afternoon, we’ll decide on Mt. Harriet or Chidiya Tapu depending on the species that we’d like to photograph. After dusk, we'll spend time looking for owl species that we've missed so far on the tour (if any).

We head out for one last bird photography session around Port Blair, before we checkout and take an afternoon flight back home.

Throughout the tour, we would have Andaman’s finest birdwatching guide with us. He has an amazing knowledge of endemic birds and his spotting skills and enthusiasm are an inspiration for the most avid of birdwatchers.